Super Mario Bros – World 8-4

• Level type: Castle
• Time limit: 400

Bowser's real castle is a maze, and the maze does not tell you when you have taken a wrong turn. Rooms repeat until you enter the correct pipe, so if the scenery looks familiar, it is not a coincidence.

The route goes like this. In the first room take the first pipe you can reach. In the second, skip the visible pipe and walk further to the one past the Piranha Plants. The third section is underwater: swim past the Bloopers and climb out at the pipe on the right. After that comes a long hallway with a Hammer Brother guarding the bridge, and then Bowser himself, throwing hammers as well as fire.

You can fight him with fireballs or run under him when he jumps and grab the axe. The bridge drops, the castle is done, and the timer, which started at 400 seconds, is the only real enemy on this stage.

1-1Overworld 1-2Underground 1-3Treetop / athletic 1-4Castle 2-1Overworld 2-2Underwater 2-3Bridge 2-4Castle 3-1Overworld 3-2Overworld 3-3Treetop / athletic 3-4Castle 4-1Overworld 4-2Underground 4-3Treetop / athletic 4-4Castle 5-1Overworld 5-2Overworld 5-3Treetop / athletic 5-4Castle 6-1Overworld 6-2Overworld 6-3Treetop / athletic 6-4Castle 7-1Overworld 7-2Underwater 7-3Bridge 7-4Castle 8-1Overworld 8-2Overworld 8-3Overworld 8-4Castle